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Sticky Institute - Melbourne's zine store

I visited the Sticky Institute in Melbourne yesterday and bought a few zines and recorded a video asking the team a few basic questions about zines. The store has a wide selection of zines, and there's a membership / mail list where you can sign up and receive zines in the mail. If you're a zine-writer, you can contact the store and have them stock your zines. Their website also includes an impressive "Zineopedia" of Melbourne based zines which is a great resource for anyone wanting to find out more about zines. Though the best way would be to visit the store if you're in Melbourne, their website if you're not in Melbourne, or a local zine-festival and buy & read some zines. Or even better, start your own!

visit http://www.stickyinstitute.com for more details
store details :
Sticky Institute
Degraves St Subway
Shop 10 Campbell Arcade Melbourne
stickyshop @ gmail.com (remove the spaces)
(if you're not from Melbourne like me, it's opposite the train station on Flinders St, about half way (Flinders between Swanston & Elizabeth) - go downstairs towards the station subway and you'll see it)

PO Box 310 Flinders Lane Vic Australia 8009

One of the zines I bought was the "Anyone can.. " zine (anyone can make a zine) which launched the same day by the City Library Street Press. The City Library Street Press are quite active, having a few projects on the go and regular meetings at the library for zinesters and writers to get involved with. The "Anyone can.." zine also includes a MAP of Melbourne city showing writers & zinester spots of interest eg libraries, stores, artist spaces.

I also bought Anna Poletti's book "Intimate Ephemera : Reading Young Lives in Australian Zine Culture" whilst at Sticky. I've been to some of her panel sessions at the National Young Writers Festival in Newcastle & Critical Animals as part of This is Not Art (TiNA) over the years, so was glad to find her PhD book in the store too. The book is also available as an e-book (pdf) or d-book (pod / print on demand) from Melbourne University Publishing e-store

I haven't finished the book yet, but here's one passage about what a zine is [pg 11-12] :


"Personal zines do not share many of the characteristics of he texts that make up the bulk of sources studied in literary or cultural studies and, more specifically, scholarship on auto/biography. Of central importance to these non-traditional texts is the fact that sines are not mass-produced; they are not published by a professional publishing house, and thus not 'sanctioned as significant by [their] status as a mass produced commodity' (Huff 510). Moreover, zines are not easily available, do not participate in standardised modes of presentation and distribution, and are not well recognised within literary communities or among the reading (most commonly constituted as 'book-buying') public. Zines are homemade, ephermeral and amateur. They circulate among communities of readers through the mail, in out-of-the-way spaces, and are passed around hand-to-hand among social groups. They are also non-traditional because of the modes of emplotment that characterise them; in the case of personal zines, we find a unique mixture of established modes of life writing, such as the diary, alongside zine-specific narratives such as cut'n'paste collage. These material and textual idiosyncranasies challenge the literary critic to practise 'connected reading', which Gillian Whitlock describes as a practice which 'pulls at the loose threads of autobiography, and uses them to make sutures between, across and among autobiographical narratives' (Intimate Empire 204)".

I also like this definition by Richard A Stoddart and Teresa Kiser in Poletti's book [pg 27]
"Zines are a written product of the human need for self-expression. Beyond that, zines are hard to define."

on page 7-8, Poletti gives Duncombe's list for a 'zine taxonomy'. I thought this was very similar to the original definitions of video blogs when they'd first started (video blogs came after zines of course!) - my attempt was this video blog mind map before I realised it was crazy to try and define all the combinations - a simple all encompassing definition of 'video on a blog' was more appropriate, and did it matter anyway.. every now and then the videoblogging list starts up a new 'what is a video blog' thread - I suppose it is the same for all sub-communities that are less commonly known / new. the response below also reminds me of the videoblogging list arguments towards a simpler definition (or no definition), and at least a step away from a taxonomy.


"genres of zines: fanzines (broken down into subcategories by subject, that is music and sports), political zines, personal zines, scene zines (covering local and community events in the zinester's area), network zines (which review zine publications), fringe culture zines (covering UFOs, conspiracy theories and so on), religious zines, vocational zines (detailing 'life on the job'), health zines, sex zines, travel zines, comix, literary zines, art zines and 'the rest'"

... "the collapse of Duncombe's taxonomy into 'the rest - a large category' underscores the futility of attempting to solidify or organise a definition of zines based on their content. As Kirsty Leishman argues: 'Duncombe's work reveals that zines are ill contained and thus it is useful because it relieves subsequent researchers from pursuing such an arduous, yet futile, endeavour'(7)."

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DIGITAL FRINGE 08 (Melbourne)

Horse Bazaar in association with Melbourne Fringe & Film Victoria presents DIGITAL FRINGE 08

1's & 0's in your eyes. Digital Fringe pixels will catch your eyeballs somewhere this festival season. Digital Fringe is the digital arts arm of The AGE 2008 Melbourne Fringe Festival. Digital art from all over the world will be streaming into all sorts of nooks and crannies, across the Melbourne, Victoria & the world. See international emerging artists in your local pub, library, or shops. Have your eyeballs hijacked by MPU's guerilla projections as you wander through the cityscape at night.

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OtherFilm : tour dates for Guy Sherwin and Lynn Loo + Ben Russell and Ben Rivers

OtherFilm, Brisbane Australia based film art collective presents UK artists Guy Sherwin and Lynn Loo's Australian / NZ tour 2008, and from the USA and UK, Ben Russell and Ben Rivers' Australian / NZ tour 2008. read more for details

Like a blast of cinematic conceptual art, film artist Guy Sherwin's hand-crafted films explore the elements of film's grain, tone, flicker, sound, light and space. Beautiful, enigmatic, and sensual, these experimental films question our perception of 'light moving in time.' Together with partner Lynn Loo, Guy creates cinematic environments of incredible purity and beauty. OtherFilm regulars will be familiar with the awesomeness of the London Filmmakers' Co-op, where Guy's filming began.

The Ben's will present visionary cinematic dispatches encompassing stark Cinemascope documentary, jungle surrealism, stroboscopic flicker psychedelia, children in frightening pseudo-tribal headgear, and More! Their shows in Australia include the incredible screening program 'We Can Not Exist In This World Alone' plus Ben Russell's expanded cinema extravaganza. http://www.dimeshow.com/

OtherFilm
July/August Events 2008
www.otherfilm.org

Brisbane Australia based film art collective organising events, screenings, workshops, distribution, good times

PART 1
In this newsletter

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Speak Beats- 21st Century Visualised Triphop

Four of Melbourne's finest purveyors of lush sounds ranging from smooth liquid triphop, dub and sample based beat landscapes to squelchy, 8-bit glitch unite to deliver a night of synaesthetic delight for your auditory and visual pleasure. V.J. accompaniment by Shower Screens (Gertrude Projection Festival) and Siadatz (Uber Lingua) will be augmenting the multimedia experience of fresh local producers of organic electronic music, White Minus Red, Ionic, Editer and Paranym.

White Minus Red combine elements of triphop, dub and jazz, live instrumentation with Ableton powered technology and soulful vocals. Fronted by Sarah McDonald (ex Symbiosis, Bois et Charbon), with Liam O'Connell (Agency Dub Collective, 30B), Ben Ganley (Agency Dub Collective), Jon Hopkins (Agency Dub Collective, Malicine) and Leigh Hegg (OffBeat@Horse Bazaar, Plankton), White Minus Red have graced many a festival stage (Falls, Renaissance, Folk Rhythm + Life, Sustainable Living Festival) and are ones to watch.

Expat Novacastrian duo, Ionic have been getting many a party started since relocating to Melbourne with their unique and tasty blend of sample based, beat laden electronica, as well as gracing venues, galleries and festivals (Gertrude Projection Festival, Icicles and Raindrops). To follow up their latest release, Prototype 2.0, the Ionic lads, Stu and Div are in the process of recording a new album, so keep your ears open.

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The World Tree exhibition of paintings by Tim Parish

from The World Tree exhibition page on undergowth.org :

Protestors gather under the tree of life as bulldozers approach. Televisions vomit endless waterfalls of information. A disembodied totem of animal, vegetable and mineral world stares at you in profile. The city speaks in confusing angles where we lose perspective. The world tree is burning while man meditates under its shade.

"The World Tree" is an exhibition of new paintings by Melbourne artist Tim Parish, co-founder and art director of Undergrowth.org at Open Studio

The opening night will include music from Kafka and performance artist Si on Sunday the 15th of June at 7pm.

Details:

Opening Night:

7pm Sunday the 15th of June
with music by KAFKA
and spoken word performances by Si and Verbatim

Exhibition Dates:

15th - 29th June 2008

Address:

OPEN STUDIO (review)
204 High St, Northcote
(86 Tram Line opposite Northcote Town Hall)

visit http://undergrowth.org/theworldtree & http://undergrowth.org/user/verb for more details or to see samples of Tim Parish's work

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Liquid Architecture 8

Listen. Deeply.
from Liquid Architecture's About page

Liquid Architecture, Australia's premier sound-arts festival, celebrates its eighth consecutive year with concerts, artist talks, workshops, forums, live performances, exhibitions, installations, audio-visuals and recorded work. Featuring our most imaginative musicians, composers, film-sound designers and media artists in a sense-specific feast for the ears.

What is 'Sound Art'?

2008 Next Wave Festival Presents Tracts : An Exhibition of Sound Installations

Tracts is a group show of sound installations at Melbourne's Blindside Gallery as part of the 2008 Next Wave Festival that examines the role of sound in the world. The exhibition explores how sound can shape our understandings of our surroundings and ourselves, bringing into question the nature of space within a gallery and the role of the subject in experience. Assembled by several of Australia's premier emerging sound artists, the exhibition invites the audience to enter, surround, and interact with the installations.

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PHILIP JECK, SEAWORTHY AND LEIGHTON CRAIG @ FABRIQUE (Brisbane) + (Adelaide : Melbourne sets)

PHILIP JECK, SEAWORTHY AND LEIGHTON CRAIG
FRIDAY MAY 16, 8PM
BRISBANE POWERHOUSE
ROOFTOP TERRACE
THIS IS A FREE EVENT, SO PLEASE COME EARLY ... WE'LL OPEN DOORS FROM ABOUT 7.50PM AND IT'S FIRST IN MOST COMFORTABLY SEATED!

FRESH FROM A SWAG OF GIGS IN THE PAST WEEK (WORD HAS IT THE MONDAY NIGHT IN LONDON WAS JAWDROPPING!!) IS UK TURNTABLE MAESTRO PHILIP JECK. THIS IS HIS FIRST VISIT TO OZ!

ALSO ON THE BILL THE AMAZING SEAWORTHY HITS BRISBANE FOR THE FIRST TIME AND CASIO MASTER LEIGHTON GRAIG LAUNCHES HIS NEW ALBUM 11 EASY PIECES.

JECK ALSO PLAYS ADEL 17TH AT JADE MONKEY AND MELB 18TH AT TOFT IN TOWN

visit http://www.room40.org for more details

-- info via ROOM40 facebook group

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JUSTICE YELDHAM : BIRTHDAYS LP Launch : 25th May : Toff In Town (Melbourne)

Fresh from North American tour and LOAD records showcase at SXSW Lucas Abela is launching his new JUSTICE YELDHAM LP; BIRTHDAYS. The record consists of two live sets by the maverick amplified-glass player recorded during his & Keg's recent tour of Europe.

Side A was captured in Marseille on the eve of Justice's 35th birthday while side B was recorded on Kegs birthday in Porto, and to top off the birthday cheer Keg also drew the cover illustration as a gift for Justice's Birthday. The record has been collaboratively released in an edition of 600 copies across the world by Anarchymoon Recordings (North America), Turgid Animal (Europe) & All Thumbs Press (Australia). Of which only 25 or so are in the country as All Thumbs copies practically sold out during the aforementioned tour and will only be available at the show.

His sets have been described as "a trumpet player trapped in a two dimensional universe". By pressing his face and lips against the glass whist employing various vocal techniques ranging from throat singing to raspberries, he turns disguarded household windows into crude musical instruments. Resulting in a wide variety of cacophonous noises that are strangely controlled and oddly musical.

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Melbourne's Northcote Social Club upcoming events

Coming up...
14 May - Rosie Burgess with Tinpan Orange
15 May - Sal Kimber & The Good Ole Boys (album launch)
16 May - The Reels - LIMITED TICKETS JUST RELEASED!
17 May - 78 Saab (NSW) with Richard In Your Mind
18 May - Abbe May (WA) (album launch)
21 May - Lisa Mitchell (EP launch)
22 May - Jason Harwell (USA)
23 May - Mosaik with Michael Paynter
24 May - Firekites (NSW) (album launch)
25 May - The Spoils '08 comeback (to Europe) special'
30 May - Youth Group (NSW) - Selling Fast!
31 May - Josh Owen (mini-album launch) with Nessa Morgan (NSW) (album launch)
1 Jun - The Barons of Tang - on sale soon
5 Jun - Nyssa Bradsworth & the Weightless String Quartet
6 Jun - Wellyn (album launch)
7 Jun - Blueline Medic with Red Jezebel (WA)
8 Jun - The Sure Shot Hunters (album launch) - Queens B'day Pub Hol Day Eve
11 Jun - Harry Manx (Canada) feat. Yeshe (two sets)
13 Jun - The Band Who Knew Too Much
14 Jun - Holly Throsby (NSW)
15 Jun - Seagull (album launch)
21 Jun - Clinkerfield
26 Jun - Flow and Plenty (EP launch)
27 Jun - Yves Klein Blue (NSW) with The John Steel Singers - on sale Mon 19 May
2 Jul - Stu Hamm Solo Clinic (USA) with Electric Mary (late set)
10 Jul - Dawn Landes (USA) - on sale Fri 23 May
19 Jul - Diesel
6 Aug - Laura Marling - on sale Fri 23 May

read more for details or visit http://www.northcotesocialclub.com

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A Super Massive Easter Saturday at Windsor

Sydney's ultra groovy, alterna-pop/electro/rock four piece Super Massive bring a lively Easter Saturday night to Windsor, playing a free show at the Fitzroy Hotel on the 22nd of March, 8pm -11pm. Locals can even take advantage of the hotel's courtesy bus, to really make it a rip-roaring night. (Call 4577 3396 to book a seat on the bus) For song samples, pics and more go to: http://www.myspace.com/supermassivesounds or read more for more details

A Super Massive Easter Saturday At Windsor

Sydney's ultra groovy, alterna-pop/electro/rock four piece Super Massive bring a lively Easter Saturday night to Windsor, playing a free show at the Fitzroy Hotel on the 22nd of March, 8pm -11pm. Locals can even take advantage of the hotel's courtesy bus, to really make it a rip-roaring night. (Call 4577 3396 to book a seat on the bus.)

Creative and entertaining, Super Massive won the 2007 MusicOz Award for Best Alternative Artist back in November and has since been impressing the likes of Rufus Wainwright and his band, who caught the band's most recent Byron Bay show and loved it, inviting the guys and gal to their own show at the State Theatre and after-party.

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JOHN FOXX & LOUIS GORDON Australia Tour 2008

JOHN FOXX & LOUIS GORDON Australia Tour 2008

As founder and former front man of Ultravox! until 1979, and subsequently via his solo projects, John Foxx's work has helped pave the way for a generation of electronic musicians. His debut album, 1980's Metamatic, is today regarded of one of the most pioneering albums in electronic music and created a new wave blueprint for the likes of The Human League, Gary Numan, Duran Duran and, in more recent years, The Faint to follow. Metamatic hit a cultural vein again 20 years later when Ladytron, Adult, Tiga and co were drawn to its minimalist, analogue approach.

Live Feeding 5 March

LIVE FEEDING is a one-night occurrence of audio-visual performance and installation under the stars. The Old Melbourne Gaol exercise yard will become a site of convergence for local AV practitioners and merry makers. To kick the evening off, we would like to invite you to play with our overhead projectors, get acquainted over drinks and enjoy a BBQ until the sun sets, when the performance and installation programs will come to life! Artists: Philip Samartzis + Marcia Jane; Rosalind Hall + Marco Cher-Gibard; Helmet Head (Anthony Magen + Rod Cooper); Xenosine AV; Marden; Christina Tester; Melody Henderson; Idora Alhabshi, Lisa Shingles. Proceedings begin: Wednesday 5 March 2008 at 7pm

Location: RMIT City Campus, Alumni and Belvedere Courtyards (behind
the Old Melbourne Gaol). Entry via LaTrobe St then Bowen St, then
between buildings 1 & 3, map: http://tinyurl.com/2dfqx3

Bring: things (overhead transparencies + objects) for freeform
participatory projected fun!

Live Feeding is brought to you by Stream, RMIT Orientation Committee
and RMIT Union Arts.

--

STREAM is a RMIT Union Arts collective who are passionate about live
audiovision.

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Dorkbot Melbourne >>> people doing strange things with electricity <<<

This month's presentations range from synthetic birds in swampy wetlands to wireless ultrasonic rangefinding with Arduinos. Steve Adam will talk about his Common Sounds installation, which was set in the Sale Common Wetland Reserve (Gippsland) for the WaterWater Festival in November 2005. The installation uses real-time generated synthetic multichannel audio which was diffused in a swampy wetland setting. The system was self-powered and involved numerous technical challenges. The installation's sounds include a range of synthetic birds and insects. Ross Bencina & Danielle Wilde will discuss the design and construction of an ultrasonic rangefinding system built as part of a recent residency at Steim Amsterdam by Ross, Danielle and Somaya Langley. The idea was to create a wireless system for measuring the distance between performers by timing ultrasonic pings from one unit to another. Each range finder unit uses an Arduino and has two separate ultrasonic sender and receiver circuits. The units use Nordic Semiconductor NRF2401 digital wireless radios to synchronise and transmit data back to a basestation. Ross and Danielle will discuss the successes and limitations of the project to date. read more for more details and links for each of the projects, or visit http://dorkbot.org/dorkbotmelbourne/

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REPHRASE playing 100% LIVE in Melbourne 24th Nov @ Roxanne Parlour

Jaime Olsen (REPHRASE from Sydney) is hitting Melbourne on Saturday 24th November and he is bringing his 100% LIVE show!!

Rephrase is on the road in 2007 to celebrate release of his latest and greatest album "Little Victories" plus upcoming remix compilation. After hearing the cry of excited Melbourne breakers; he's decided to pack up his sax and sequencers and synths to bring us his 100% live show. He'll be up on the big stage at Roxanne Parlour for one night only on Saturday 24th November.

|| Extra! Extra! || Rephrase is now playing 100% LIVE at his upcoming Melbourne show!!

Breaking news from Got Funk HQ ...

Jaime Olsen (REPHRASE from Sydney) is hitting Melbourne on Saturday 24th November and he is bringing his 100% LIVE show!!

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